Tarnos - La Digue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me break down what’s happening for Tarnos, the way I see it.

Right off the bat, the water is seriously warm, running about 74°F – that’s 4°F above what you’d expect for early September, so you’re getting tropical-feeling water without leaving the mainland. The first real window of surf starts to show itself from Saturday morning the 5th onwards, and we’ve got a whole week ahead with something to talk about.

Wednesday the 2nd kicks off with a small window of clean, glassy 3ft NW swell at Tarnos - La Digue (beach/jetty). The morning is dead calm, zero wind, and the combined wave energy is weak at 120. It’s surfable but honestly pretty ordinary – small and weak. The afternoon turns to junk with a cross-onshore. The next couple of days follow a similar pattern: tiny and marginal or flat, with only the very odd glassy moment – nothing to get excited about.

Now, Saturday morning the 5th is where it starts to get interesting. The swell jumps to 3ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 226 – moderate energy. Glassy conditions, no wind. This is a proper little morning session. By Saturday afternoon, the swell builds to 5ft but the period extends to 12 seconds and the energy jumps to 624, but the cross-onshore wind starts to chop it up. That’s the trade-off.

Sunday the 6th morning is the real standout of the whole outlook. Clean, glassy, offshore breeze from the east at 5 km/h, swell sitting at 5ft from the NW with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is pumping at 603. This is going to be clean, punchy, and lined up. A proper Sunday session. The afternoon goes choppy again as the wind swings, so get it early.

The following Monday and Tuesday go messy with onshore wind and weak swell, but we get a second run from Saturday the 12th onwards. Sunday the 13th morning brings 5ft from the NW, period a short 8 seconds, energy moderate at 318, and a light cross-offshore ENE breeze – it’ll be clean again, but the short period means it’ll be a bit crumbly and dumpy at the beach setup. Monday the 14th morning is back to glass with 4ft NW swell and energy of 323. Tuesday the 15th morning sees the biggest raw swell height: 5ft from the NW, period 8 seconds, glassy, energy at 283. That one’s pushing into the beginner zone, but for the capable crew it’ll be fun and clean.

Past that, the second week fades out – there’s a run of poor conditions or tiny swell from the 15th afternoon through the end. One last flicker on Thursday the 17th morning with a glassy 2ft from the WNW with a longer 11-second period and weak energy of 116 – surfable but only just worth a paddle.

Best on offer without question: Sunday the 6th morning, and as a backup, Saturday morning the 5th or Monday morning the 14th.

Expect crowds at Tarnos - La Digue sometimes – fair warning, it can get busy when the conditions line up. This break is fairly consistent, so it’s usually there if the swell is.

That’s the picture from here. Keep an eye on Sunday morning especially.

- Rusty

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